Super Bowl 2018: Can The New England Patriots Repeat? Raiders A Dark Horse? Very Early Prediction, Betting Odds For NFL Championship

The New England Patriots pulled off an impressive and memorable Super Bowl comeback Sunday in a 34-28 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons. The victory was the Patriots' fifth since 2002 and some might be wondering if they can do it again at Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

According to very early odds from VegasInsider, the Patriots are the early favorites at 13/2 odds and they are far ahead of their closest AFC competitor, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are listed at 18/1 odds. Before the start of the 2016 season, the Patriots had the best odds (6/1) of winning the Super Bowl.

The NFC has four teams with a good shot, as the Falcons, Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers all have the second-best odds at 12/1. The Seattle Seahawks are fifth overall at 15/1.

To little surprise, the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers have the worst odds (300/1)

But teams with poor odds shouldn't fret too much. Days before the start of the 2016 season, the Falcons had 80/1 odds to win the title and ended up in a tight Super Bowl battle.

An interesting dark horse might be the Oakland Raiders (20-1). Quarterback Derek Carr should be back at full strength next season and the Raiders have seven draft picks to bolster their offensive line and defense for a run at the title.

The complete betting odds show the parity in the NFL.

New England Patriots 13/2

Dallas Cowboys 12/1

Green Bay Packers 12/1

Atlanta Falcons 12/1

Seattle Seahawks 15/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 18/1

Denver Broncos 18/1

Kansas City Chiefs 20/1

New York Giants 20/1

Oakland Raiders 20/1

Minnesota Vikings 30/1

Indianapolis Colts 30/1

Carolina Panthers 30/1

Arizona Cardinals 35/1

Baltimore Ravens 40/1

Tampa Bay Buccanneers 40/1

Houston Texans 40/1

Philadelphia Eagles 45/1

Miami Dolphins 50/1

Tennessee Titans 50/1

Washington Redskins 60/1

Cincinnati Bengals 70/1

Detroit Lions 70/1

New Orleans Saints 70/1

Buffalo Bills 80/1

Los Angeles Chargers 80/1

Jacksonville Jaguars 100/1

Chicago Bears 125/1

New York Jets 150/1

Los Angeles Rams 150/1

San Francisco 49ers 300/1

Cleveland Browns 300/1

Prediction

With Rob Gronkowski in good health and no impact free-agent departures, the Patriots can expect to be top contenders. But it wouldn't be surprising if some AFC West opponents like the Raiders or Kansas City Chiefs give New England problems and find a way to end their repeat hopes. The Patriots should also be concerned about the Denver Broncos, due to their improving offense and stellar defense.

Meanwhile, the NFC has a great deal of depth. The smart money might be on either the Cowboys or the Packers. Both teams have excellent offenses and should have improved defenses next season. Meanwhile, the New York Giants have a very good shot of making a big run in the postseason with one of the best receiving units in the NFL.

The draft and the early returns from the preseason should provide a lot of insight. For now, the early hunch should belong to the Packers to win Super Bowl LII